the happily ever after chronicles
by prismatically inked
Summary: With higher heels, lipstick napkins, and dying being your latest fashion, how far can you fly with paper wings?
1. almost lover

**_the happily ever after chronicles  
><em>**_a collaborative work by the AAG_

This account is comprised of the members at the AAG, or the Author Appreciation Guild; a forum here at FFN. Together, we have organized an event for the summer of 2011 to write an anthology of short stories and drabbles for the Naruto fandom. Some of these stories may be linked. Some of these stories may not. Whether or not they are linked, each chapter of the anthology has its own author, title, summary, and pairing that will be listed at the top. And while the plot of each submission may not be related, all submissions are related under a single theme and prompt combo:

**(one big, giant anti-fairytale) / (higher heels, lipstick napkins, dying is your latest fashion / how far can you fly with paper wings?)**

Our disclaimer, which will exist here and only here, is this: We own nothing of this fandom, and own only our ideas.

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**_almost lover_  
><strong>written by **anticollision  
><strong>this version is edited by **A. E. Stover****  
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**about:** narusaku. sasusaku. (or something like that. maybe it's better if i put it as narusakusasu? mehhh. sounds likes a threesome.)  
><strong>notes:<strong> I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS TO FINALLY BEGIN. 'kay. (like, you have no idea. i was bugging everyone about this.)

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Everyone knew that Naruto was in love with Sakura.

But everyone also knew that Sakura was in love with Sasuke.

—In the blonde's book, that was a definite dilemma.

You see, Naruto wasn't stupid. He could tell that that his long-time crush had eyes for someone else—but that wasn't stopping him. He could tell, as well, that his hopefully-lover despised him (now)—but that wasn't stopping him. Nothing could ever stop Uzumaki Naruto.

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Years passed for a little group by the simple name of "Team Seven." Sasuke had left their team—their _family_, and the only female was so (still) upset. She wouldn't stop being morose until Naruto came to find her one night. The pinkette's feet on the edge of the Hokage Mountain, ready to take one last step—to her demise.

_(((she always had a new hobby, naruto knew. and it seemed that this time dying was her latest fashion.)))_

"Sakura-chan!" he cried out, nearly making her start in that simple act. "_Stop_." He wrapped his arms around her body—too little for comfort; _had she stopped eating again?_—and wanted desperately to kiss that pink hair so close to his face.

She didn't look at him, she simply broke down into tears, still in his arms. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto," she blubbered, "I'm so sorry—it's just…"

The Jinchuuriki didn't even need to hear the rest. Ever since her love interest had disappeared so dramatically, she wasn't the same. (And Naruto _knew_ that she was barely eating. How was she supposed to be a medic-nin, taking care of others, when she just couldn't take care of herself?.)

A half an hour passed and she calmed down, "Thank you, Naruto… -kun"

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They were happy for a time. A long while, actually.

They were almost out of their teenage years, still young—but mature enough, in the shinobi world, to have had experienced some of the worst things. But no matter the good, no matter the bad, he was there for her. And she was there, too.

Everyone said how cute of a couple they made (except for a few). And Naruto didn't even care when he realized that he was completely, utterly in love with her. Sakura was his everything.

She was his first, too—and he, hers. Naruto could remember every detail and how gorgeous she had looked that night. Nervous, timid, even a little scared—but _beautiful_; always beautiful. Things had gotten even better after that.

The couple were inseparable: the next Hokage and his wife, people whispered.

_"Believe it!"_ Naruto would always echo back.

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Sometimes—

_(((just sometimes)))_

—she'd be able to forget about the raven-haired boy for a little bit.

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But one day… Sasuke did come back.

Everyone in Team Seven was overjoyed (even good ol' Kakashi-sensei) with the news of his return. From what the Godaime had said, they would have to wait a few days before they could see him. For precaution, she told them. But people would learn that the precaution was not for fear of physical harm, but emotional harm.

To Sakura.

And she knew that Naruto just had too much trust in her. Because she couldn't even trust herself (not that she'd ever tell him—then he would think… things).

When they were allowed to go see their long-lost teammate, the teacher and the two students were waiting in the lobby. The blonde dragged Sakura by the hand, "C'_mon_, guys! Don't'cha miss the bastard?" He had his usual smile on, but she could barely sense the fear he had inside. Fear that she was going to fall in love again.

She once had to reassure him, when the topic of the Uchiha came along. _"Silly boy, I'm not going to fall in love with Sasuke anymore. (Because I still _am_.)"_ Sakura couldn't help herself; she could never stop loving _him_.

When she saw him the first time again in years, she began to cry.

_(((i've missed you, i've missed you, i've missed you. do you know that my feelings are still the same?)))_

"It's alright, Sakura-chan. We're all together again."

They were; it was true. It was really true—

(because of Sakura's tears, Naruto's beaming expression, and Kakashi's happy eye-crinkle, even in Sasuke's dark eyes, familiarity and joy reigned)

—Team Seven was together once again.

"Hey," intoned Sasuke, a proverbial smirk playing on his lips.

Oh, gosh, she had missed that—_him_.

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Naruto knew the day that his best friend came back to Konohagakure that Sakura would leave, too. It was like some sort of evil trick played on him. A deal that he just _did not want to make_.

Did he want Sasuke back and Sakura gone? Or did he want Sasuke gone (still), and Sakura there (with him)? It seemed that he didn't have to make that choice himself when the Uchiha man came home.

The night that his team had first seen Sasuke, Naruto cried himself to sleep. He was going to lose her. He was going to lose the girl he was so in love with—and he could do _nothing_.

How far can you fly with paper wings? She never did—never _could_—love him completely, he knew.

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Right before she left him, she kissed his cheek one last time. "I will never forget our time together, Naruto," she murmured. The young man almost winced at the lack of the honorific, but he said not a word.

And then he watched her walk away. He knew where she was going, and it killed him inside.

But he would never take her away from the one person that she's loved always, unconditionally. It just wasn't fair of him.

He simply loved her too much.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

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so, i was listening to _a fine frenzy _and i got inspired? it went along with the prompts/themes-ish andandandyeah. sakura sounds like a bitch in this. don't freak out on me because, uhm. _anti-fairytale_, anyone? don't forget to review! and alert. because there are going to be plenty more—much better than mine—coming soonnn.


	2. lipstick napkins

**_lipstick napkins_  
><strong>written by **anticollision**  
>this version is edited by <strong>A. E. Stover<strong>**  
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**about: **ino-centric.

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><p><strong>lipstick napkins<strong>

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Ino Yamanaka was never the kind of girl that you'd call an angel. Oh, maybe in looks with her long blonde hair and pretty, pretty blue eyes—but in actions? Never.

On Saturday, she woke up in a daze. She was lying next to a man she vaguely remembered from last night, and she was naked—but that was all to be expected—save for her favorite, high heels. She ignored the latter; all men had their kinky fetishes.

As she got up and began to redress, she took that time to evaluate the man she had just slept with. After deciding that she did a damn well job at choosing men, Ino grabbed her red, red lipstick and put it generously on her grinning lips.

Ah. She was ready. Now for the final touches.

Ino sauntered back over to the man on the bed and reached into her tiny handbag. The woman placed a silenced-gun to his head—his eyes opened in that moment—and pulled the trigger.

A dull echo sounded as she smirked coyly to herself. Then Ino exchanged the gun for an ivory napkin. After closing the male's eyes, she put it on his forehead and kissed the paper material. That was her calling card: lipstick napkins.

Hours later, police would find the man dead, with the serviette still on him. And Ino would be gone—in another city, another state—picking out her next victim.

No one ever found her—they never did—but still, she wondered: _How far can you fly with paper wings?_ Fucking then killing wasn't the most common thing people did in spare time. What Ino did was unnatural, and each time she thought she'd be found out.

But she never would stop, she _couldn't_. After all, dying was her latest fashion. She wouldn't cease just because of a little fear.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

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ahah, i actually liked this one. even though it's odd. ehhh, whatever. ;D AND I USED ALL THE PROMPTS. OH, YEAHH. oh, and i've never actually written ino before. ba-bam.


	3. this week the trend

**_this week the trend_  
><strong>written by **soiguessitsdemi  
><strong>this version is by **A. E. Stover**

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><p><strong>this week the trend<strong>

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_I am death._  
><em>I am the latest trend.<em>

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Pretty girls don't die horrendous deaths like this. Pretty girls don't die, full stop.

Haruno Sakura wasn't _dead_-dead, but she might as well have been.

Her eyes — green, like her mother's — were glassy and only half-lidded, and her waterline, usually painted an unusual colour, was plain. Bubblegum hair which, on most days, would be styled in an intricate 'do, or would be twisted into pretty summer curls, lay limp at her shoulders, unwashed for days. Her whole _body_ lay limp, her back propped against the wall, her legs sprawled on the mattress.

She'd left the door open, again. "Sakura-chan, I'm not going to ask again."

She glanced up at Naruto, no feeling in her gaze.

"Get the fuck _up_."

She leaned forward a little, so that her back no longer pressed against her bedroom wall. She looked up, again, and offered a feeble smirk. "I'm up. Happy?"

"Sakura-chan, you have _ribs_," Naruto pointed at the bare skin, just below the wire of her bra (completely ignoring the fact that his beautiful best friend was half-naked and lying on a double bed). "How long has it been since you ate?"

Sakura blinked emptily, as though she were contemplating something from the past. "When did he leave?"

"…Twenty-nine days ago."

"There we go, then," She let herself fall back onto the wall, closing her eyes and trying to puff out her cheeks, a bit, to give them some fullness. "It's been twenty-nine days since I ate."

The blond fell onto the uncovered mattress beside her, swinging an arm across her emaciated hips. He nestled his face into the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent — tea shops and bubblegum, and heavy vintage books with yellowing pages. He was pleased to know that she still at least _smelt_ like the old Sakura. "Please eat. Eat _something_, cupcakes, ramen, shit loads of _crap_, I don't care what you consume, I don't care if you get fat, just eat."

"I'll eat when he's back."

"He's not _coming_ back," Naruto whispered into her skin. "Sasuke's gone."

It had been twenty-four days since his name had been mentioned. Sakura gave him a glazed look, half-expecting him to beg some more.

"Alright, alright, I won't make you eat," The blond wagered, lifting his head to look her in the eye. "Do something, though. Don't just lie here on your bed. Go to Ino's, go to the tea shop…go out and get wasted."

The corners of her lips lifted into what could be deemed a smile. "Can I really get _wasted_?"

"Not — not too wasted. Don't do anything crazy."

Sakura hopped off the bed and, ignoring her near-greasy hair, began to rifle through her wardrobe. Naruto watched her; she was skin and bones, these days. Her ankles and wrists were twigs, her hips were skeletal. When she bent just the slightest bit, her spine would jut out, pushing against the skin, like wings.

"Sakura-chan, I'll bring him back."

And that was a promise.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

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Hi! Demi here, or _soiguessitsdemi_. I'm pretty new on the scene, so, nice to, um, meet you all. 8D I'm really pleased to have been invited to work on this collab. I'm working with some pretty amazing people, and it's just _awesome_. I feel guilty for sullying this place with my failed knowledge of the Naruto fandom orz. But I still hope you liked it! c:


	4. rooftop endings

**_rooftop endings_  
><strong>written by **atrociously beautiful  
><strong>edited by **anticollision**

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**about: **Suigetsu/Karin

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><p><strong>rooftop endings<strong>

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_When I was a little girl, I used to imagine soaring high up in the sky—brushing the tops of the trees with my fingers and swallowing the clouds. I used to picture myself smiling down at my loving family. I'd be feeling excited, because, shit, I was soaring high. I was flying with the birds, caressing the sun and fighting the wind._

_But that dream ended fast. I was a child then, I didn't know what I knew now._

_You can't fly far with paper wings._

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"Karin, please, I'm trying to concentrate."

Aforementioned girl rolled her eyes at her mother. After pressing a serviette to her face to wipe away a recent meal's remnants, she slung a pink bag over her shoulder and strode out of the house.

Sunglasses shaded Karin's eyes from the blinding sun as she walked towards the tallest building (the one on the busiest street, at the most chaotic hour in the day). With a smirk on her slightly tanned face, she made her way towards the abandoned structure at the very end of the street.

Her heels clicked and clacked up the flight of stairs, her hand grasped the rusty railing, and her blood red eyes were fixated upon what was ahead. At last, she made it to the top of the building. She dropped her bag by the door and walked towards the ledge, transfixed.

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_This is the point where you think, "Fuck, she's going to jump." Sorry to disappoint, but I didn't jump. I sat. Yes, I just sat down, my legs hanging over the side._

_I just sat… I sat and I thought. _

_I thought about how everything was going wrong—and so totally right—in my family, in my circle of friends, and in my life. I thought about how my mother was neglecting my father. I thought about how because of that neglect, Dad's out there cheating on her with some whore he picked up. But I also thought of how my cousin was going out with Sakura, my best friend. Sasuke was happy. For the first time, he was happy._

_I thought about how my life was spiraling out of control—not downwards, because I hadn't reached that level yet. Although, it wasn't exactly spiraling upwards and into the heavens. Maybe spiraling was a bad word to use to describe. No, my life was circling around me, without my control. It was just circling: going from okay, to good, to bad, to worse. I couldn't control it, and at that point, I decided I didn't want to._

_I liked coming here to think; the clouds relaxed me, the sounds below became music, and nothing mattered up here._

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"You're not going to jump, right?" A voice startled Karin, and she quickly grabbed onto the ledge, scared. With a glare etched on her face, she turned around, fully prepared to cuss out the fucker who startled her.

The words died in her throat as she stared at him.

"Suigetsu," she croaked out. Said boy smirked at her and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Well, Doll-face, I'm not prepared to catch you or call the police if you decide to jump. So warn me ahead of time; that way I could leave and pretend I didn't see it." He smiled in a bitter way and leaned against an old air conditioning unit.

Karin huffed and turned around, a pout on her lips. Suigetsu chuckled, but made no move to come any closer to her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked angrily.

The mauve-eyed male chuckled again, "I saw you walking over here and I thought you were going to jump."

Karin made a face, "I thought you wanted to pretend it never happened." She crossed her arms and scooted closer to the edge.

Arching a pale-teal eyebrow, Suigetsu intoned, "It hasn't happened yet; and if it does, I'll still pretend it didn't."

The redhead sighed quietly and pushed her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose. She was sweating, and she really hoped he didn't see it.

She sincerely hoped he didn't see that he was making her so nervous.

"I'm not going to jump, asshole."

The brazen boy shrugged but she couldn't see it. "Precaution, Toots."

Turning around swiftly, Karin could feel the tears that were already gathering in her eyes. "Don't call me that," she hissed.

Suigetsu looked down uneasily, his fists clenching in his pockets, "Karin…"

"I don't want to hear it… I-I…" The girl looked down, "I just don't want to hear it." Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

"The situation—it's irrelevant now," he spoke softly, his eyes downcast.

A bubble of hysterical laugher erupted from Karin's mouth, she sniffled, and her red eyes flashed open. "Just leave. I don't want you here," the girl spat acerbically, soon shutting her eyes again.

"If you really didn't want to see me, you would have left," Suigetsu snapped, glaring at her with amethyst eyes.

Karin laughed again, "No; leaving is your job, remember?" She stood up and balanced on the ledge. And instead of looking down like most people did, she gazed upward and smiled.

"So, what?—you're going to jump? Dying is your latest fashion now? Is that it? Are you not strong enough now? Because you sure seemed strong enough that day when you told me to get the fuck out of your life. Oh, but you don't remember it that way, do you?" He was breathing heavily, the words came out in a rush, slurring together. The vein on his neck pulsed, and then he brushed white hair out of his view.

Slamming her eyes shut, Karin murmured, "Suigetsu, how far can you fly with paper wings?"

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_I really hated Suigetsu. I hated everything about him. I hated the way he would call me "Toots" or "Doll-face". I hated how he would smirk at me._

_I hated how he made me love him._

_Oh my god, I fucking hated him._

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"Typical, so very typical, you're the kind of girl that makes me fall in love. I hate it; I hate you."

Karin sneered, "Answer the question, Suigetsu."

The aforesaid person looked at her with a pained expression. "Not very far, I imagine."

Jumping down from the ledge, Karin walked up to the boy. He tried hiding his unease at her proximity—she hadn't been near him in months.

"That's my point!" she exclaimed. "Up here, I feel like I can fly; that I'm touching the sky! Nothing can hurt me here: you can't hurt me, my mom can't hurt me, my best friends' fucking happiness can't hurt me!

"But you're here now and it kills me. It kills me because I know that it's not entirely your fault. I know it's mine too, but, dammit, you left. You didn't fight—"

He cut her off, "Fight? You were miserable with me! You didn't want to be with me. You felt obligated, fucking obligated! I thought we could be happy together. We were best friends, we were right for each other. We could have been happy together—"

"This is not a fairytale!" Karin screamed, "We wouldn't have that happily ever after! As a matter of fact, we would have been a nightmare together. Fuck, we _were_ a nightmare. You weren't happy." She was riled now as she said again, "This isn't a fairytale!"

"I didn't want a fairytale; I wanted _you_!" With those last words, he stormed out of her sight. Karin heard his boots thudding against the metal staircase as he exited.

When she couldn't hear his chains echoing in the hallway, or his boots thudding against the stairs, she collapsed and cried.

He was hurting, and it was her fault.

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_I didn't go back for a couple of days. I knew he would be there. He's the type of person to wait._

_What he was waiting for, I didn't know._

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When Karin did go back to the rooftop, she wasn't surprised to see him there, leaning against the old air conditioning unit like before. She made her way to the edge, her bag next to her, and her high-heeled feet dangling.

"Sit with me."

It was a soft demand, and Suigetsu didn't want to obey it. Nevertheless, his feet took him towards her and he lowered himself to her sitting-down height.

"In my bag," she began with a raspy voice, "are all the pictures we took." The ginger reached into her bag and pulled out a small, tattered photo of them smiling. With a deep sigh she flung it; the wind caught it, and it flew away.

"Paper wings can't fly very far, but old memories can," she mumbled.

Suigetsu closed his eyes and reached into her bag. "No, they can't. They never leave." And with that he flung another picture.

It continued for almost an hour in silence. Neither spoke because if they did, that last moment of theirs would be ruined and meaningless.

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"Bye," he stalked off the roof, with shoulders slumped. Karin sighed and felt her heart clench. She felt guilty. If she wasn't so selfish, they would have been great.

She heaved another sigh and grabbed her newly empty bag. Without a second glance, she left.

She didn't come back.

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_I didn't come back—ever. It pained me to even think about it. But I knew that it was the right thing to do. And I think he knew, too._

_The next time I saw him was a couple of months later. He nodded at me, and walked away hand in hand with some pretty girl. It hurt a bit, but I knew it was going to be okay._

I_ was going to be okay._

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

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i know, i know. it wasn't the greatest piece, but i tried and i'm semi-happy the way it turned out. i promise i'll get better. no, really.

I wanted to thank everyone who's reading, reviewing and what the fuck, writing this story. i seriously love all of you. i do.

kthnx.

~nicole


	5. la reflexión

_**la reflexi****ó****n  
><strong>_written by **xfucktheglasses  
><strong>edited by **dictionary ink **& **pandastacia**

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><p><strong>la reflexi<strong>**ó****n**

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_She ate my heart  
>and she ate my brain<em>

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That girl was beautiful.

Oh, she was gorgeous.

Her hair was long and silky – lustrous and platinum blond. Look at her roots, check her roots. Oh, it's not fake; she's a blond to the very root. And it's silky and long and so alive. A perfect halo; a perfect cape; a perfect frame. It reached the middle of her small back, falling in a thick cascade of white-yellow.

Her eyes were beautiful. The lightest of blue; lighter than the sky; lighter than life. Specks of different colors surrounded the pupils – green, brown, yellow; oh, her eyes were breathtaking. Framed with thick yellow-brown lashes that fluttered and tickled her cheekbones, lined with the blackest of eyeliner and colored around with the smokiest of eyeshadows. They stand out against her pale skin.

Pale and unblemished skin.

Pale and silky smooth.

She's a beauty.

That, girl, she's a beauty.

She tilts her head and some of her forelocks curtain her eyes.

Her hands reach up and cup at her chests, cups her breasts and stares.

She's curvy; the curves are never ending; her stomach is flat; her hipbones jut out; her collarbone stands out.

And yet she's beautiful.

She stares at that girl in the mirror; eyes boring holes to the reflecting surface.

Why couldn't she find anything ugly? Why couldn't she find a scar? Why couldn't she find something to make her imperfect?

Why.

Why.

Why.

The door is opened but she doesn't look away from the girl in the mirror.

He appears behind the girl in the mirror, head tilted and messy brown hair everywhere. It covers his dark eyes as he stares at her, wrapping his arms around her bare waist and burrowing his nose at her throat.

"What're you lookin' at," he murmurs, his lips brushing against her sensitive skin.

But she's just staring. Staring, staring, staring—

"Staring at that girl," she murmurs, distractedly and almost lost. She moves one of her hands away from her breast and points at the girl in the mirror, "That girl's a monster."

He stares at her, pulling away. His brow furrows and a frown tilts his lips downwards; his hold around her tightens. "Ino," he breathes out, "Quit it, okay? C'mere, look…"

But even as he pulled her away from the mirror she continued to stare, continued to search, continued to question.

That girl's a monster – that beautiful girl in her mirror. She was a monster and she swallowed paper hearts and ripped paper wings.

A monster – a beautiful monster.

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	6. paper angel

_**paper angel**_**  
><strong>written by **anticollision  
><strong>edited by **pandastacia**

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><p><strong>paper angel<strong>

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How far can you fly with paper wings?

That's what she had wondered ever since she was young. She had always wanted to soar into the sky, but after a plethora of accidents, little Konan had realized that that was not the way to go.

Nagato and Yahiko would always encourage her to find her own special sort of ninjutsu. And she wanted to, she really wanted to; because both of the boys had their own special, amazing talents… and then there was her: boring Konan.

She would always try to remember what Jiraiya-sensei had told them, had told her. He was the first one that made them realize their dreams (and in truth, maybe he had started Pein's entire parade of peace-via-pandemonium). She had always wanted to fly, but after having a sensei, she felt like she actually _could_.

And thus began her experiments with wings. Konan knew that unless she had some spectacular, unreal bloodline, she couldn't legitimately take flight. She started out with feathers, cloth, even skin, and just about everything in between… but she still could not find the perfect material. Nothing was fit for her chakra, it seemed.

During this time, the girl's reputation of being accident-prone stood again. One time, Yahiko actually had confronted her. "What's with you?" he had said. "You act like dying is your latest fashion, or somethin'. Kami, I can never understand you chicks." He looked exasperated, "Jus' don't do anything too stupid, Blue."

Aforementioned kunoichi had grinned at her teammate, "No need to worry, 'Hiko. I'm… I'm just trying to find what I'm supposed to do." And she really was. Even after multiple bones breaking and flesh always bruising, she didn't stop until she just didn't know what else to do.

Konan had tried every material that she could think of. She sighed as she folded, folded, folded an already used (by her), lipstick napkin into a crane. Somehow, she could always get that to work. It was as if it was her talent or something…

_Wait_. Stopping herself, she fiddled with whatever the napkin was made of. _Paper_, she mused. The blue-haired young woman quickly retrieved a stack of papers and closed her eyes, summoning chakra. When she heard a quiet rustling of the things before her, Konan opened her eyes, and she nearly squealed in delight.

"Paper!" she exclaimed. "That's it!"

Konan decided that she wouldn't tell her best friends yet; she would make it a surprise. Rushing to her tiny room, she put on her favorite high heels. The flight-lover figured she might as well look good as she fixed the flower in her hair.

When she showed the two gingers, they were surprised, but in awe. The twosome wore the exact look _she_ usually had on her face when watching _them_ perform their abilities. For once in a while, Konan felt pride well up in her chest.

For years she would produce and perfect her jutsu even more so, until she finally answered the once-vast question from her past (and, still, the present even now). _Well, Konan,_ she questioned herself,_ How far _can_ you fly with paper wings?_

On the edge of a cliff, with her body almost entirely paper now, she willed paper wings to form on her back. And they did, magnificently. Now it was time for the ultimate test: the flight. Closing her eyes, she jumped off—

_(((and she fell, fell, fell)))_

—and then abruptly swerved up, wings supporting her fully. She felt like an angel.

And in years to come, she would be known as an angel—God's Angel. But never for the reasons she had wished it to be originally. But at least she could fly for now, fly, fly until she was chained to the ground by her friend influenced so much by pain.

So to answer her question… she could fly as high and as far as she wanted to—until _Pein_ entered her life.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

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><p><em>.<em>

_._

_._

this is for christie because she's the one who's smart & thought up the whole konan = paper wings thing. (yeah, i still don't know why i hadn't thought of that at the time either.)  
>alsooo. i have another drabble that goes to this that will be uploaded... someday. possibly.<p> 


	7. the fallen will wither

_**the fallen will wither**_  
>written by: <strong>Just Lovely.<strong>  
>This version is edited by <strong>A. E. Stover<strong>

****.

**about:** NejiTenten  
><strong>summary:<strong> She smudged the edge of the pristine napkin with a lipstick kiss – too much would make her look fake and tacky, not enough would make her look innocent. And Tenten was – by far – not.

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><p><strong>the fallen will wither<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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_There was nothing more thrilling,  
>than the chase.<em>

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It was dusk when the wails of sirens finally filled the streets.

Tenten smirked thoughtfully, staring down at the distilled porcelain cup of coffee in front of her. Their reaction time was poor, she thought, wrapping her fingers around the cup and tilting it back into her mouth.

A lot of variables could've been changed; like _security_, all guns but no ammo – she didn't break a sweat, dealing with them. And then the tried-and-failed attempt of the boss; if only he had dialed for the police instead of negotiating his employees' lives for his own, there might have been an industry to go back to.

But no matter, what was done was done; maybe they'd learn from their mistakes and have luck on their side next time around. Though one could only hope, Tenten gave a small laugh at the thought. They would only crash and burn, again and again, until there was nothing left to rise from the ashes.

The brunette pushed the half-empty cup away from her, it skidded on its accompanied saucer until it managed to right itself. There was a faint trace of scarlet on the rim, dotting the perimeter, looking like an intentional design albeit not being one.

She glanced around the diner.

The lights were dim, throwing shadows onto the walls. The tables around her were vacant, while the ones at the back were filled with wide-eyed men, nursing a steamy cup of coffee in their hands as they wasted away their time until their next working shift.

She smiled and returned to look at the booth opposite hers. Vaguely hearing the old waitress pour more coffee into her cup, she nodded her head, picking a white napkin out of her bag beside her as she traced over her lips with scarlet lipstick.

She smudged the edge of the pristine napkin with a lipstick kiss – too much would make her look fake and tacky, not enough would make her look innocent. And Tenten was – by far – not.

She let it go, watching with half-lidded hazel eyes as it fluttered down, barely going far enough onto the table with its paper wings. She slid out of the booth and out the door before the aged woman cleaning after her could cuss about the waste of perfectly good coffee.

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It was midnight, when the car drove into the parking lot of the diner.

Hyuuga Neji swung the front door open and scanned the interior, finally striding in as he spotted an old waitress, her head bent down as she tried to lift a heavy tray. He made his way to her, holding it steady as she looked up in surprise.

She sputtered, "Th-thank you, kind sir."

"No problem."

When she saw that he wasn't going to let go, she looked instantly warily at him. "Can I help you with something?" she said slowly, eyeing the police badge on the left side of his jacket.

"Yes. Do you recognize this woman?" Neji asked, holding up a photo as he took the tray and handed it to the rosette, Haruno Sakura, who quickly placed it onto an abandoned table, her interest captured as well.

The waitress peered closely at the image. A sour expression appeared on her wrinkly features. She replied, "Yes, I do. Why? Is she some kind of outlaw?"

The look on the officer's face was grim. "Not exactly."

The waitress shrugged, suddenly losing interest. "She's long gone by now." she informed them, waving her hand. She took back the tray, her brittle arms straining under the weight as she walked back to the kitchen.

Neji sighed, scanning the half-empty diner with weary eyes.

His team was ready at the door, half of them frustrated at yet another setback while the other half were ready to hit the road again. Neji wondered if they'd ever catch her.

An abandoned brown bag caught his eye, and he made his way to it.

The table was fairly clean, showing not a trace of who had been there. The bag looked expensive, he noticed, brand name, judging from the logo. The booth looked like it hadn't been sat in for a while.

Neji waved the old waitress over, gesturing to the table with a latex gloved hand. "Did the woman sit here?" he asked her.

"Yes." she stressed, "Wh-oh, you found her bag. I didn't notice it." Her once dull eyes gleamed.

He snatched it up before the woman could reach a hand to it. He ignored her gawking. "This is the property of a _criminal_, not some normal forgetful diner," he said harshly as he moved around her person and looked analytically at the table.

He ran a hand below the seat, the dimmed lights were useless as he rummaged in the dark. His long fingers ran over the thinness of a discarded napkin and he pulled it out. He clutched it with a shaking hand, lips set in a tight line of recognition.

"Do you remember when she left?"

"A lot of women go in and out of these doors, you know." the waitress replied hotly, huffing as she crossed her arms.

"But not women looking like _her_." Neji said quietly.

The elder woman faltered, "Well, no... I, I think it was around sunset. Yes, I'm sure of it now, because I was doing my round with a pitcher of hot coffee for those who would want a re-fill. And a few moments after I gave that good-for-nothing-girl one, she left, her cup was full. And it really did anger me, you know. I cussed like the devil after her and-"

"Thank you." he interrupted, subtly handing the waitress a little roll of green paper. "For your trouble."

She nodded and Neji made his way back to the front door.

"So it's still on?" Sakura inquired as their group walked out into the night air.

He nodded swiftly. "She was here when the police were alerted to the burning industry down the block. That's been the sixth burning in five and a half years of the same industry."

"So that's her target? The industry that has an illegal environment for workers? The industry excuse of a sweat-shop," another member, Uchiha Sasuke, said aloud, stating off from the report he held in his hands.

"We won't know until we follow what she's left us, again." Neji instructed.

_To the phoenix in Arizona_. She had written on one of the many white napkins in her bag, the inked words seeping through in black lines.

"We're going to Arizona." Sakura exclaimed, incredulous.

The wind blew against them, thrilled with adrenaline and hearts filled with hope, once again. The hum of engines erupting was a quick sound, drifting to a lull, blending into the streets like the darkness around them.

Neji unfolded the little, square napkin in his pocket, the pad of his thumb running over the slight uprises of her black penned words, staining his skin with something like poison.

_Maybe next time, N._

_Love, T._

_N_ and _T_, Neji and Tenten.

Like always.

_N_ and _T_, Neji and Tenten.

Out for the glory.

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It was early morning, when the poster was tacked onto bulletins.

Tenten stood in front of her black and white picture, a grin of approval curling at the ends of her scarlet stained lips. She was quite satisfied with her results.

The picture was rectangular, framed with a blood red border, giving off a murderous intent. It was as if they thought she was a psycho killer, sins branding every inch of her. The reward for her capture was high; seven, almost eight, figures.

In her fake black hair and mud brown contacts, Tenten simply nodded and walked past the poster.

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She was in the land of no return, no point in turning back as she faded into the horizon, and became lost.

_Death would have its luxuries, though._

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES<strong>

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><p>.<p>

.

.

Hey, so it's _Just Lovely._ or **Rin**. [whichever name would be good.]

I got this up before summer ended, mission accomplished :)

Thank you for reading and don't forget to put down your thoughts!


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